Deflection rail contactor



A ril 3, 1962 Filed June 25, 1956 J. FRYBA DEFLECTION RAIL CONTACTOR 2 Sheets$heet 1 INVENTOR JOSEF FRYBA ATTORNEY April 3, 1962 J. FRYBA 3,028,485

DEFLECTION RAIL CONTACTOR Filed June 25, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 92 9: 94 l? m A1 L" n 1| 1 L j rw [:1 C] I] INVENTOR JOSEF FRYBA ATTORNEY United States Patent ()fiice 3,028,485 Patented Apr. 3, 1962 3,028,485 DEFLECTION RAIL CONTACTOR Josef Fryba, 153 Madison Ave., Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed June 25, 1956, Ser. No. 593,769 Claims. (Cl. 246-25l) The present invention relates to a rail contactor for signalling, warning or controlling devices and in particular to a rail contactor involving deflection of a longitudinal portion of a railway track.

The development of modern transportation has shown the insufliciency of insulated track circuits in which a longitudinal portion of the rail is insulated at either end forming part of the circuit. The indispensable insulation requirements of this type of circuit reduce their reliability, and create disadvantages in the use of such track circuits on tracks having metal understructur or at switch points, crossings or other places where insulation is diflicult.

The necessity of controlling, signalling or warning traflic on a line has resulted in endeavours to obtain a method of controlling or signalling in which the completion of the circuit did not include part of the track or train, or more simply, involves a trackless circuit operable by a rail contactor.

Of the developments produced so far th rail bending contactor would appear to have the best potentialities for universal application, despite its many existing drawbacks. For example, the present type of contactor, especially under high traific speed on a heavy track, often fails to operate or under such conditions at best produces a weak signal or one of short expiration only. The radius of action of the present contactors is restricted to a very confined area within the proximity of the contactor.

Thus, they are unable to indicate the presence of a train should that train be standing with a wheel just outside the confined operating radius of the contactor.

it is a main object of the present invention to provide a device rendering a contact between a rail and a trackless circuit operable over a longitudinal portion of the rail.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device which does not require complicated insulation of the track and which is not easily subject to damage or dislocation.

it is a further object of this invention to provide a rail contactor of the rail deflection type operable over an extended portion of the rail.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the diagrammatic drawings in which:

FlGURE 1 shows an elevation of one of the rails incorporating the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross section of the contactor through switch mechanism further indicating its method of actuation.

FIGURE 3 is a cross section of part of the rail at one end showing one or" the adjustors.

FlGURE 4 is a top plan view of the situation of four contactors of the invention at a rail crossing.

FIGURE 5 is a scheme of the electrical circuit of the arrangement of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is an elevation showing three contactors installed within one segment of the rail.

I lnthe figures there is shown a rail 1 having a lower flange 2 and a foot portion 3, the rail being tightly secured to sleepers or bed ties 4 and 5. Between the ties 4 and 5 there are shown intermediate ties, 6, 7, 3 and 9, these latter ties being arranged slightly below the bed ties 4 and 5 and attached to the railby means of nails 19, 11, 12 and 13 or other suitable means in a manner to be described hereinafter so as to provide a floating portion of the rail leaving a gap 14 between the base of the rail and the intermediate sleepers. Parallel to the rail 1 there is provided a support beam 15 having a lower flange 16 fixed at its ends to the rail 1 by means of brackets 17 and i8 and bolts 26, 21 and 23, 24 respectively, on opposite sides of beam 15 as shown in FEGURE 3, bolts 19 and 22 being also provided for cooperation therewith to permit regulation and adjustment of the height of the beam 15 above the ties 6, 7, 8 and 9 and to fit the device to an actual or local shape of track line.

The heads of the nails 10, 11, 12 or 13 engage the top of the lower flange 2 of the rail 1 in its normal unbent position and the shank of each nail is sunk into the ties 6, 7, 8 and 9 respectively, thus allowing the portion of the rail 1 to deflect vertically above the ties 6, 7, 8 and 9, while preventing lateral distortion of the rail portion.

Each of the ties 6, 7, 8 and 9 is joined to the support beam 15 through supporting hook members 29, 33, 37 and 41 which are suspended upon the lower flange 16 of the beam 15. A hook portion of each of said members engages the lower surface of a tie, thereby providing a means of raising th tie in relation to the beam 15 in the manner indicated. The ties can be forced downward with respect to beam 15 by means of regulator plates 25, 30, 34 and 38 and their corresponding bolts 26-27, 3132, 3536, 39-40 which engage the bottom surface 28 of the lower flange 16 of the beam 15. Each of the latter bolts is adapted to provide a bearing pressure to its respective regulator plate to provide a resultant downward adjustment to the tie. 7

By means of firmly adjusting these hooks and bolts, the individual ties 6, 7, 8 and 9 are formed into a base grid leaving a common tie level I-Il, FIGURE 1 with the beam 15 transmitting the varying forces from one tie to the others and the balance to the brackets 17-18.

Thus the stiflened grid of ties 6, 7, 8 and 9 is maintained with all the ties at the same level respecting the natural sag of the rail 1, and as the beam 15 is maintained in predetermined relationship with rail 1 by means of the end brackets 17 and 18, a constant gap 14 of preferably about 1 mm. between rail 1 and theupper surface of the ties 6, 7, 8 and 9 may be provided allow-- ing for the deflection of the rail 1 over a controlled length when a train depresses any point of the rail 1. The lat-,

ter distinguishes from a normal rail through being normally disengaged from a plurality of sleepers. These are held there beneath uniformly spaced aparttherefrom a distance defined by gap 14 regulated by means of the beam 15 and attendant members which support the ends of the defiecta'ble portion 1. For this specific combination exclusively the operative deflection is processed all along the rail portion 1 freely abovethose sleepers. The; function of the beam 15 thus is both regulative and supporting.

The size and duration of the deflection over this con-.

trolled portion permits a simple type of contactor for acdeflectable portion is preferably about 30 feet in length.

A preferred form of switch assembly for actuation by the deflection of the rail is illustrated in FIGURE 2. The contactor switch is fastened to beam 15 by means of bracket 42, plate 45, and bolt 44 which combined with a slot in plate 45 not shown permits vertical adjustment of the switch assembly against the beam 15. Plate 45 and outer box or housing 48 contain the inner switch box or housing 56. Friction means of any suitable material is interposed between the inner and outer boxes allowing vertical movement of the inner box relative to the outer box against the resistance of said friction means.

The switch box 59 is provided with a membrane 51 which closes the electrical contacts within an airtight 3 space. The bottom of the switch box is provided with bottom plate 52. An actuator 49 is provided with a head flange 68 and ring 67 which are engageable with the bottom plate 52 of the box 50.

In the normal undeflected position of the rail, the head flange 68 of the actuator 49 is placed upwardly against the membrane 51 and forces the switch plunger 55 upwards against the force of spring 54. The lower ring 67 at this stage engages the bottom side of the plate 52 preventing undue upward movement of switch plunger 55. Further upward movement of actuator 49 causes box to move relative to box 48. The elements 56, 57 and 53 provide a snap switch commonly used in electrical appliances.

A further indicating switch 60 may be placed between the top of box 59 and box 48 and can be arranged so that it will indicate a warning that the gap 14 relative to rail 1 requires adjustment.

The contact elements 56, 57 and 58 are connected With the circuit leads 62, 63 and 64 and the switch 60 is connected to leads 65 and 66. The housing box 48 is closed in an airtight fashion by a membrane 47 through which the actuator 45 passes.

The actuator 49 is kept in permanent contact with the foot 3 of rail 1 preferably by means of the spring 59 which is adjustably secured to the beam bracket 42 by means of bolts 43 and 46 as clearly indicated in FIGURE 2. The spring strength of the spring 59 is sufiicient to overcome the resistance created by friction means 70 which in turn is greater than the force created by spring 54 in the biased condition.

In operation, upon deflection of rail 1 downwardly due to the weight of a passing vehicle, the actuator head flange 68 moves downwards through contact of the flange 2 of the rail with spring 59 until it contacts the upper surface of bottom plate 52 of inner box or housing 50. The displacement of flange 68 removes the opposition from switch plunger which is urged into operation under the bias of spring 54, switch element 56 snaps out of contact with element 57 and into contact with element 53 thus closing the warning or control circuit.

The distance of travel for permitting actuation of the snap switch is less than the distance 14 which allows smooth operation of the contactor and prevents vibra tion of the rail from giving an undue warning due to the fact that a relatively small initial travel of the head flange will not permit actuation of the switch elements.

The head flange 68 of actuator 49 is designed to contact base plate 52 at the time that the lowest part of rail 1 contacts the ties. Further bending if such were to occur would merely depress the whole unit including the ties. In the course of time, however, some change in the relative positions of rail 1 and of the intermediate ties could occur. In such an event the head flange 68 of actuator 49 upon movement thereof, contacts the base plate 52 and moves the inner switch box 50 against the resistance of friction means 70 as a unit without further affecting the switch plunger 55.

Thus a continuously effective operation of the device is ensured wherein the contact means can at any time be simply adjusted to its normal position in the manner described above. In the event of an abnormal change the contact would be activated to give a special warning signal.

Due to the inclusion of friction means 70 the contactor switch box St is initially still during the operation of the switch. This gives a more positive contact of relatively lengthy duration. Also the beam 15 through the medium into a versatile system of train control which is independent of the type and insulation of the track.

The following examples will serve to illustrate an application of the invention.

FIGURE 4 indicates diagrammatically a crossing between tracks 71 and 72. Contactors are shown on the rails of track 71, units 73 and 75 being provided on one rail thereof and units 74 and 76 on the other of said rails. The units would similarly be arranged on track 72, or conversely, all on one rail depending upon the adaptation of the de ice. The contactors: 77-7879, 808182, 8334-$5 and 86-87--88 shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 5 are similar to the contactors described above and are arranged with their corresponding terminals wired together so that the operation of any one of them will cause a current from power source 91 to operate one of the signals 89 or 90. Since the segments 73, 74, 75 and 76 overlap each other, the eifective operating area of the contactors is extended over the entire range and the passing of a train wheel will cause at least one of the actuators to operate the common circuit. A similar arrangement on track 72 ensures that the whole crossing area is permanently controlled.

As illustrated in FIGURE 6, three or more contactors as shown at 92, 93 and 94 may be placed adjacent the rail. These contactors can be arranged by adjustment to act together or each to perform a separate signalling or Waming task independently of the others.

it is to be understood that the above description defines only one way in which this invention may be effected and that alterations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a railway track having parallel rails and bed ties, a deflection rail contactor comprising: a vertically deflectable rail portion; intermediate ties between certain of said bed ties and located beneath the defiectable rail portion and normally spaced therefrom; a support beam disposed parallel to the rails and anchored thereto at its ends; means maintaining the intermediate ties in association with the support beam a predetermined distance below the deflectable rail portion in the undeflected position of the latter; switch means actuatable by the deflectable rail portion whereby a signal circuit may be completed; and switch return means operable upon return of the defiectable rail portion to its undeflected condition whereby said signal circuit may be broken.

2. In a railway track having parallel rails and bed ties, a deflection rail contactor comprising: a vertically deflectable rail portion; intermediate ties between certain of said bed ties and located beneath the deflectable rail portion and normally spaced therefrom; a support beam disposed parallel to the rails and anchored thereto at its ends; means adjustably maintaining the intermediate ties in association with the support beam a predetermined distance below the deflectable rail portion in the undeflected position of the latter; switch means actuatable by the deflectable rail portion whereby a signal circuit may be completed: and switch return means operable upon return of the defiectable rail portion to its undefiected condition whereby said signal circuit may be broken.

3. A deflection rail contactor as claimed in claim 2 in which the means adjustably maintaining the intermediate ties in association with the support beam comprise: support means in engagement with the support beam and each intermediate tie whereby each of said ties may be drawn toward the detlectable rail portion and means interposed between said support beam and each intermediate tie thereby to urge said ties from the deflectable rail portion whereby the predetermined spaced apart relationship between the intermediate ties and the defiectable rail portion may be maintained.

4. A deflection rail contactor as claimed in claim 1 in which the switch means actuatable by the deflectable rail 5 Y portion comprises: an outer housing having inner and outer surfaces said outer housing being rigidly connected to the support beam; an inner housing having inner and outer surfaces said inner housing being disposed within the outer housing; switch elements maintained within said inner housing; friction means in the form of afriction layer engaging the inner surface of the outer housing and the outer surfaces of the inner housing; a base plate forming a base portion of the inner housing, a switch actuator having a flange portion adjacent the base plate for engagement therewith; abutment means on the switch actuator whereby the latter may be depressed upon deflection of the deflectable rail portion and means interposed between said actuator and said base plate whereby the switch elements are maintained undisturbed upon movement of i the support beam.

5. A deflection rail contactor as claimed in claim 1 in which said support beam is connected adjustably at its 5 ends to a said rail forming said track.

References Cited in the tile 01" this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

